"Gracie"

A Record of Seafarers

File #01 Nov 2021 05:35

Summary

Name February Marlene Lancaster Aliases Gracie Status Evolved Ability ███████ ██████ Gender Female Birthdate February 29, 1988 Age 33 Height 5' 11" Build Slim Eyes Hazel Hair Red Residence Here and There Employment Everywhere Parents John and Kathy Lancaster Siblings Unknown Marital Status Elizabeth Messer Children Unknown First Scene Après Moi Last Scene Profile Gracie is a survivor of the destruction of the Commonwealth Arcology. She's traveled around since her return to the surface and ultimately landed back at the Pelago to cool her heels for a bit, where she provides entertainment in return for the basics she needs for survival. Already, she's itching to travel again.

portrayed by Katherine McNamara

Background

In January of 2019, refugees from the Commonwealth's Archology arrived at the Pelago. Among them were Rue and her partner, Liza Messer. Saddened to lose the only life they'd known for years, while simultaneously glad to leave it behind, the two decided to stretch their wings and see what the surface had to offer, together. By all accounts, the two women seemed to hold hands and sail off into the sunset for their happily ever after in the direction of Delphi.

In 2021, Rue Lancaster returned alone to the Pelago, having "reinvented" herself. She calls herself Gracie now, a mononym — like Madonna, Cher, Beyoncé, or Prince. She doesn't really talk about what happened after she and Liza left on their journey. After a few drinks, however, she's been known to be coaxed into mentioning that she's traveled the mainland for a stretch of time.

At some point on her return trip, she found a pair of men in a settlement that were traveling to Delphi and offered to let her join their caravan. They traveled peacefully for a time, but they turned out to be traffickers and meant to trade her like goods. Desperate to escape, she started a fire in the farmhouse as a distraction, only to be chased down. When she was caught, her leg was shattered with a baseball bat as punishment and to keep her from being able to run again. A patrol of nomads heard her screams and came to investigate. Jonas Regan shot her abductor dead and Ren Nassar used her ability to heal her leg. They took Rue in as one of their own and she and Ren soon grew close. It was the first time she'd opened herself up since she had lost her wife, and she was happy for a time. However, times started to grow lean and supplies were dwindling. Ren began to grow desperate. What started out to Rue as a roaming settlement just trying to survive became one led by ruthless raiders. She began to fear what she'd become if she stayed.

A boy in the enclave possessed a clairvoyant and precognitive ability. Through that ability, she was guided to return to the Archipelago. She stole supplies and abandoned Ren and the others in the night. She managed to rig up a shitty car to last long enough to make the rest of the way to Delphi, where she traded it for passage to the remains of Manhattan.

At the Pelago, Gracie was an entertainer. A beautiful dancer, having trained in ballet and modern dance from youth, she's just as likely to move to the beat of someone's music as she is to simply move to the own rhythm in her head. In addition to employing this skill to put on a show for weary travelers (and the type of shows she's willing to put on are the subject of rumor), she also taught children how to dance. It was more or less a way to keep kids busy while their parents did the work required to keep the Pelago running, but anything that got them to burn off energy and stay active — especially in the stormy season — helped.

Her time was split with the Palisade Sill as well. Over there, she did more than dance for her supper. Her basic needs were met, but she always came back with a little extra to trade. A little something different for Lowe's bar. New seeds for the gardens. Odds and ends procured. Various favors fulfilled for future favors to be named later.

Soon enough, however, she was itching to leave the Pelago again. She has a promise to keep, and the convoy to Anchor was just the ticket she needed. While they accepted her bid to travel with them, she expects to pay her way with the only thing she has to trade. That her inclusion comes without caveat isn't something she's yet come to trust or believe.

Everyone needs to get by.

Psych Profile

Seeking a friend at the end of the world.

Evolved Ability

Gossip is never fatal until it is denied.

Appendices

Logs

Gossip
ff_gracie_icon

2021
Date	Title	Participants
April	Après Moi	Solo
06/12	Tavern at the End of the World	Asi, Elliot, Erin, Glory, Huruma, LeRoux, Marlowe, Molly, Nova, Poppy, Richard, Quinnie, Ryans, Silas, and Veronica
06/20	Siren's Song	Asi, Elliot, Kendall, Richard, Silas, and Valentine
	Late Evening	Richard
06/22	Welcome to the Playground	Elliot
06/29	Your Ex-Lover Remains Dead	Quinnie
06/30	And Learn the Rest	Elliot
	Departures	Silas
07/01	We'll All Go Together When We Go	Nadira and various
	Last Call	Asi, Chess, Elliot, Kendall, Nadira, and Robyn
07/02	Maximum Overdrive	Elliot, Squeaks, and various
	Friends and Family Plan	Asi, Cat, Chess, Elliot, Hart, Nadira, Quinnie, Robyn, and Squeaks
07/03	Bright Morning Star	Elliot, Hart, Richard, Squeaks, and various
	Tastes Like Cherry	Eve
07/04	The Son of Neal	Elliot
	Still So Much Life	Richard
	Courses and Ruetes	Tay
07/05	Dead End, Part II	Castle, Chess, Elliot, Hart, LeRoux, Ren, Ryans, Squeaks, and Tay
	The Deep Stays	Solo
07/06	Awake, Alone, Regretting	Chess, Huruma, Marlowe, Nadira, Quinnie, Ryans, Silas, Squeaks, and Tay
	One Whole Capybara	Chess
	Après le Déluge, Nous	Richard
	Didn't Make You Her	Elliot
	Nowhere Near Done	Des and Spades
07/07	After the Wilderness Has Passed	Elliot, JR, Nadira, Quinnie, and various
	Placeholder	Castle, Des, Elliot, Eve, Nathalie, Nova, Seren, Silas, and Stef

Skills and Hooks

• She is Beauty: A creature of vanity, Gracie knows how to use certain plants to create natural cosmetics. It's not the sophisticated department store lines she'd always favored before the flood, but it does in a pinch and helps her feel more herself.
• She is Grace: Though she never got her big break before the flood, Gracie has been dancing for as long as she's been able to stand, and she still practices when conditions permit. Dance is her bread and butter, the service she trades for the keep she must earn. In addition to performances, she also teaches children the basics of rhythm and movement, if for no other reason than to help them burn off energy.¹
• She Will Punch You in the Face: All that ballet conditioning has given Gracie a quiet, understated strength, and stamina that is often underestimated. She's used to reading the movements of others and that intuition helps anticipate action. Her fluid motions are an asset; in a fair fight she might actually land a punch.
• Here for a Good Time, Not a Long Time: Gracie likes to strike up conversations with people and genuinely enjoys company. It's finally started to bring her out of her shell — she's even starting to form attachments. She considers this journey north as something like work travel; as such, she's still accepting clients.²
• Of Course, Quid Pro Quo, You're Expected…: If someone finds themselves in need of a favor, looking for something in particular now that they're on the road, she's been this way before, and there's a chance that she can procure it. But don't confuse grace with charity. If the client doesn't have something Gracie has an immediate need for, she'll barter for a favor to be named later.³

Relationships

Travel Agents

Ra's al Ghul		With some misguided sense of responsibility to look after apparently everyone who ever set foot in the Commonwealth Arcology, this death-cheater pursued Gracie to that end. While Richard seems reluctant to accept the notion that he owes her nothing, he has at least accepted her offer to be an ear when he needs one. Gracie's perfectly happy with this arrangement.
Quinnie		Just what the world needs: A second Robyn. Just kidding! Gracie can't help but tease the other woman, having known who she was from the beginning. She finds few similarities between her and the Robyn Roux she knew in the Ark, but it bothers her very little. Time will see what direction their acquaintance goes.
Melancholy and the Infinite Hotness		What can Gracie even begin to say about Elliot Hitchens? Their connection started as one of lonely chatter, but seems to hold the potential to evolve into something less transactional and more friendly. In some ways, Elliot knows the real her. The core of her shaped in those formative years. That's a prospect that's as disconcerting as it is freeing. He's the good kind of trouble. Or so she thinks.
Evie Nicks		This new iteration of Eve Mas isn't the one they called Mad, but they're the same at the core. She still appreciates dancing, laughing, and sharing a joint. They'll get along just fine.
Hello, Beautiful		Man, she's pretty. Also maybe attached to Saffron, though? That's unfortunate. But she's at least nice to look at, and hopefully they'll have the opportunity to at least strike up a friendship. Maybe Chess will teach Gracie some sick archery skills in exchange for dance lessons?

Pros and Convoys

Harriet the Spy		Jacelyn seems to have taken it upon herself to become Elliot's protégé. Gracie isn't sure what to make of this mentor-mentee situation yet, but Jac seems cool enough. Her ability is absolutely primal, and Gracie hopes she'll get to see it in action sometime. Although, how does one see someone navigating by sound? Well, she'll find out, she supposes.
Dr. Isley		Erin Gordon has the greenest thumb. Her skills provide food, ingredients for cosmetics, and, of course, keep people in bud. Thank goodness she's decided to come along.
Hartbreak		A woman after Gracie's own heart (ha ha), Sarah Hart is one of Gracie's ridealong buddies, playing DJ to the caravan of vehicles. Her ability allows her to better interface with the equipment in the old van, and she hooked her up, literally, with the means to listen to her own music and broadcast it to the others. She may be judging her for the lack of post-rehab Nirvana, but surely that's a problem they can work out eventually.
Nads		Nadira Karim has a quiet strength that most probably don't even know. She's been a strong foundation for many in the Pelago, and she's sure to be one when they get to Anchor. Probably all along the way there, too. Even without her ability to purify water — and make no mistake, that's a huge assist to this crew — Nadira is more than just an asset to them on their quest.
Fucking Epstein		Taylor Epstein is leading the expedition across the mainland to Alaska. He's prickly, kind of a bearcat, and he tends to disagree with her when they discuss which roads they should take as they make their way, but he knows how to plan for and manage a large group. That's simply not a skill Gracie has.

Old Arkquaintances

Pepper		Saffron is the one who bestowed the name Gracie in the first place, so Saffron got the nickname Pepper in return. She thought she'd never see her again — that she'd either been lost with the Ark or made it through the promised portal to A better world. Must've been the latter, but why's she back?
Silas		Silas Mackenzie was an outsider to the Arcology who came to join the kitchen crew. They didn't know each other well, but after a brief memory jog, it's starting to come back to her. Poor sod, to wind up back here.
Des		Destiny, now a Captain, spent a few years among the Ark's denizens. She often worked the kitchens, but soon became a favorite of Director Cardinal. Sometimes Gracie wonders if the girl has to live up to her name.
Zee		Robyn was one of the lucky few to make it aboard the submarine back to the Pelago before the destruction of the Ark. Their relationship remains friendly, even if Gracie finds her somewhat secretive now that they have more space and freedom.

Lost

The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Whole Wide Room)		The greatest love of Rue Lancaster's life. They happened to shop at the same corner market and must have kept similar schedules, because they kept seeing each other across the aisles. At the checkout. In the parking lot. Rue finally summoned the courage to talk to her and the two hit it off immediately. In Rue's opinion, Liza was everything she was not. She was smart, she was brave, strong, capable of anything — and didn't need a superhuman ability to do it. When Rue hit dead end after dead end in the pursuit of her art, Liza encouraged her to seek higher education and find something that fulfilled her, but insisted that it didn't mean giving up on her dreams to be a dancer or to have her face on the cover of magazines. They faced everything life had to throw at them together, hand in hand and heart in heart. No matter how bleak things looked, they had each other. The world didn't truly end for Rue until the day the river separated them. Wherever she is, whatever awaited her after, Rue hopes there's only peace and love for Liza now.

Playlists

The iPod

Musical Selections to Navigate the Flood By

Hartbreak Radio

You're listening to Convoy Radio...
Because there's nothing else in range.

Remain Nameless

Remain Nameless — A Distant Shores Playlist for Gracie Lancaster
Remain Nameless	I wish to remain nameless and live without shame 'Cause what's in a name? I still remain the same You can call it what you want, you can call me anything you want You can call us what you want, you can call me anything you want
Bag of Bones	I know my room is a mess, over and over again I tell myself I'll clean tomorrow Just move the stuff up off the bed, and do what you came here to do But first open up a window for me And let the cool air in, feel the night slip in as it softly glides along your back And I hope you leave right before the sun comes up So I can watch it alone Mercy on me, would you please spare me tonight? I'm tired of this searching Would you please let me let go?
I'm Not Calling You a Liar	There's a ghost in my lungs and it sighs in my sleep Wraps itself around my tongue as it softly speaks Then it walks, then it walks with my legs To fall, to fall, to fall at your feet Oh, but for the grace of god go I And when you kiss me, I am happy enough…
Good Neighbor	Took a dive with the swans Out in the commons with nothing on The mutants stop to savor all my bad behavior It's all in a day's work when you're a good, good neighbor
Pomegranate Seeds	He said, "Will you be mine?" I said, "No, sir" I begged, "Let me go!" And he said, "No, ma'am"
Tongues & Teeth	You gotta know that this won't last Desperation will erase the fact I'm keeping all Of the answers in my cigarette box Yeah, the answer's in the second before the other shoe drops And if you're blind to that I am fine with that
That Unwanted Animal	And on the creature scratches, it doesn't know how to get out (Let me out!) "Be good to me," I beg of him Be good, be good, be good, be good, be good, be good, be good And he replies: "No, no, not I"
The Hand That Feeds	He taught me that the hand that feeds Deserves to be bitten when it beats
Fire With Fire	And I have nothing here for you All this water's gone and you, you've done nothing here for me Except I know that I can't breathe Now, will someone tell me who I am?
GOSSIP	Welcome to the city of lies Where everything's got a price
Prostitution Is the World's Oldest Profession (And I, Dear Madame, Am a Professional)	Do you know who I am? Good, neither do I Got nothing to say, but if you pay me I can play the fool Go on, believe if it turns you on; take what you need 'til your body's numb Prostitution is revolution; you can hate me after you've paid me My submission is your addiction, so just get it while you can
Girl is a Gun	It's a shot in the dark; I'm not a walk in the park I come loaded with the safety switched off
Playground	Welcome to the playground, follow me Tell me your nightmares and fantasies Sink into the wasteland underneath Stay for the night, I'll sell you a dream
White Rabbit (Jawster Remix)	I've got, I've got, I've got somethin' that you gotta have I'm the worst habit that you ever had, that you ever had White rabbit runnin' through the grass
Lover To Lover	And I've been taking chances I've been setting myself up for the fall And I've been keeping secrets From my heart and from my soul Going from road to road, bed to bed Lover to lover and black to red But I believe
Reflections are Protection	My reflections are protections They will keep me from destruction My directions are distractions When you're ready, come into the light
Siren	You'll be seein' me in your dreams and I'll be there when your reality drowns
Devil's Worst Nightmare	I've tasted fire, I've felt the burn of bittersweet Oh, sacrifice I know you all too well, your sister love, your brother misery Come a bit closer; got a secret inside I don't mind all the chaos; it keeps me alive Just 'cause I look like an angel don't mean I won't get down in the dirt Just 'cause I look like a good girl don't mean I won't do the things that hurt Beware evil, I'm the devil's worst nightmare
Enemy	They say pray it away; I swear that I'll never be a saint, no way A chair in the corner is my place I stay I shake and I think about the powers at play The powers at play
Abbey	There is a light, I feel it in me But only, it seems, when the dark surrounds me There is a dream and it sleeps in me Keeps me awake in the night Crying, "Set me free" And I wake every night Crying, "Set me free"
I am not a woman, I'm a god	Maybe I could be a better human with a new name Oh, I just wanna feel something, tell me where to go
New Invention	You've got the devil on your shoulder You better shut your mouth, just like I told you I'm having bad dreams And nothing you can do will keep the bad things Away from me until I fall asleep
Good Grief	This time my best wasn't good enough Well, fuck Usually it is But the air got a little rough Took out the fuselage, the engine, and both wings But I'm willing to work for this Just show me where to dig And I'm ready to hurt for this I know exactly what this is —
Deep Stays Down	There's a bullet in the gun, the gun went missing Suspicion blew up like a shotgun shell Zipping your lips, keep the truth in prison Gonna throw away the key like you can't make bail Cat's in the bag, the bag's in the river And the river runs deep and the deep stays down Better dot your I's, the lie's getting bigger Don't lead 'em to the needle in the haystack The deep stays down, the deep stays down The river runs deep and the deep stays down
A Lady	I know a lady, good and evil Showed me that I was a gentle man Wait for the girl to blossom into Colors that grow where you can
Après Moi	Après moi, le deluge After me, the flood

{RADIO STATIC}

{RADIO STATIC} — A Distant Shores Playlist for Gracie Lancaster
Master and Slave	That's no way to treat your son, now is it, Abraham After he busted his ass for you You've never known hunger, never took a risk Though you know you should, you know you'd never raise a fist If the boss asked you to jump, you know you'd find the nearest cliff That man talks down to you And you talk down to me too now
Capable of Anything	You are capable of anything But you don't seem to think That you could fly so low or sink so high That you could ever love again or even try That you could steal or cheat or kill or lie But you might
For The Damaged Coda	Find your name Do it all the same Equally Signal when you can't Breathe No more
Pomegranate Seeds	He said, "Will you be mine?" I said, "Yes, sir "If you let me go!" And he said, "Yes, ma'am"
Animal Skin	They say you're the predator Somehow killed the messenger Do it again, do it again I know, I know, I know I can see it in their eyes They're coming for you, honey Painted faces, sharpened knives Do you think it's funny?
Say Amen (Saturday Night)	And every mornin' when I wake up I wanna be who I couldn't say I'd ever been But it's so much more than I ever was
Seven Devils	You can't keep it out It's coming through the walls To devastate your heart and take your soul For what has been done cannot be undone In the eagle's eye, in the evensong Seven devils all around you Seven devils in your house See, I was dead when I woke up this morning And I'll be dead before the day is done
I Wanna Be Sedated	I can't control my fingers, I can't control my brain Oh no, no, no, no, no
Burn the Witch	I drew the five of swords And now I'm running, I'm running I'm coming to bring you down 'Cause baby, I'm a liar, I'm a bitch And you and I have unfinished business
There's a Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven't Thought of It Yet	And I know it just doesn't feel like a night out with no one sizing you up I've never been so surreptitious So of course you'll be distracted when I spike the punch
Enemy	I wake up to the sound of the silence that allows For my mind to run around with my ear up to the ground I'm searching to behold the stories that are told When my back is to the world that was smiling when I turned Tell you you're the greatest But once you turn, they hate us Oh, the misery Everybody wants to be my enemy
Here Come the Wolves	My vision has been Distorting I feel my DNA transforming Every time I go out in the night When you think your wounds are greater A victim can be perpetrator Does the name of justice justify?
Impostor	You don't scare me, but you should fear me The sun is setting, don't trust your hearting You made a monster, I'm your impostor Go 'head and wander But don't trust the waters
Sadie Hawkins	Oye, cierra la puerta La lucha está afuera Puede esperar una noche más Baila antes de que te vas Vale, baila antes de que te vas El mundo está quemando Necesitamos hacer algo If there's a damsel in this dress She's too far gone to save Out of time
Allies or Enemies	Are we allies or enemies? This will be the death of me
Siren	There's a bright side to every wrong thing If you're looking at me through the right eyes
Circle of Hate	You know that I'm biding my time while I'm biting my tongue You think that you've won Please You don't know the first thing about me or how I live So if you don't mind Please and thank you
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood	Don't you know no one alive can always be an angle? When everything goes wrong, you see some bad But I'm just a soul whose intentions are good Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood
Good Grief	And secrets don't like to be kept All mine jumped over the fence I guess I should be upset But I'm in my nightgown on the lawn Thinking, "Better that they're gone" I've been afraid of this so long It's a relief when it goes wrong
Haunted House	I'm not free yet I'm not free yet I'm not free yet I'm not free yet I'm not free yet I'm not free yet I'm not free yet I'm not free yet
Après Moi	I'm not my own It's not my choice

Rue "Gracie" Lancaster is an NPC run by Hudson.

Footnotes

1. Have you had her on retainer? Does she look after your kids? Let's chat.

2. Reach out to me if you'd like your character to have some kind of history or become a client.

3. Do you owe Gracie a favor? Are you on the lookout for something in particular? Did she pick something up for you that needs a delivery? Does she owe you something?